De Havilland Canada launches avionics upgrade on smaller DHC-8 series turboprops
De Havilland Aircraft of Canada (DHC) announced on April 8, 2025, that it was launching the development of a new avionics solution for its Dash 8-100 and Dash 8-200 turboprop regional aircraft. Developed in conjunction with its partner Universal Avionics, a new customized avionics suite, known as the ‘Universal InSight’ suite is already under development and will be available for existing customers and operators of the company’s smaller Dash8 series wishing to upgrade their aircraft.
“We are pleased to introduce an upgraded avionics suite for our Dash 8-100 and 200 customers,” said Jean-Philippe Cote, Vice President of Programs and Business Improvement for De Havilland Canada. “This upgrade will ensure that these rugged and reliable aircraft will be flying for many years to come.”
A DHC statement added, “In cooperation with our partners Universal Avionics and JANA Inc., De Haviland Canada is developing an avionics upgrade that will increase navigational capabilities and improve safety by providing improved situational awareness for pilots, making it an excellent solution for current operators. The certification of the new avionics solution is anticipated to be obtained in the first half of 2026.
DHC also revealed that Widerøe’s Flyveselskap AS of Norway (Widerøe) will be the launch customer for the upgrade program. The airline currently has 23 Dash 8-100s and four Dash 8-200s in its fleet with which it serves smaller regional airports in Norway.
arcticphotoworks / ShutterstockAccording to a DHC statement, ”Universal’s InSight flight display system installation on the Dash 8 adds five high-resolution LCD displays with improved synthetic vision and digital engine indication, replacing aging CRT equipment to remove unnecessary weight making this an upgrade a significant improvement over the current avionics suite.”
“Partnering with Universal Avionics to upgrade our Dash 8-100 and Dash 8-200 aircraft reinforces De Havilland Canada’s commitment to investing in the fleet and delivering modernized and reliable solutions to our customers. The new avionics provide a good solution to replace components difficult to replace and repair,” added Cote. “This solution is part of our overall goal as a company to keep our existing fleet flying.”
De Havilland CanadaAccording to ch-aviation, there are currently 116 active Dash 8-100s and 62 Dash 8-200s in active service, with operators ranging from regional airlines and government bodies to other organizations that use their aircraft for the distribution of humanitarian aid into more remote areas.
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The post De Havilland Canada launches avionics upgrade on smaller DHC-8 series turboprops appeared first on AeroTime.
De Havilland Aircraft of Canada (DHC) announced on April 8, 2025, that it was launching the development of…
The post De Havilland Canada launches avionics upgrade on smaller DHC-8 series turboprops appeared first on AeroTime.
